1. Field of the Invention
A collecting assembly for cuttings, clippings and debris used in combination with a lawn mower type cutting machine wherein fluid flow is established throughout the collecting assembly by the provision of a negative pressure source disposed in fluid communication with the remainder of the collecting assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The collecting of debris, clippings and cuttings associated with the cutting of grass has been a problem long recognized in the lawn and grass care industry. Accordingly, a plurality of collecting devices exist in the prior art and are presently commercially available. The vast majority of these are directed to the "blowing" of the debris and clippings initially collected in the cutting area of a cutting machine out through the cutting deck or housing into some type of collecting container or the like.
A problem commonly associated with collecting the cuttings and debris is associated with the efficient and effective removal of the collected debris, once collected in a storage area or the like, to its point of ultimate disposal. In numerous of the prior art devices, this includes stopping machine, frequently breaking down the collection unit itself, transferring the cut debris or clipping into another container either manually or through the help of some type of vacuum pickup machinery and then hauling the transferred collection to the ultimate point of disposal. A peculiar problem associated with the collection of cut grass, clippings and like debris is its ability to be "packed" down into a bale type configuration. This occurs due to the normal vibration associated with the collection container or the like being mounted on the cutting machine itself. The normal settling or automatic compacting of the grass clippings, etc. will cause the collected debris and clipping to take up a much smaller area. In conventional collecting apparatus, once the capacity of the collecting device has been reached, it is transferred into a stationary container or to its point of ultimate disposal. This transfer causes the clippings and debris to "fluff up" and become uncompacted thereby causing it to take up a much greater volume. Obviously, a great advantage would be realized if the collected debris could be maintained in this compacted state throughout its transfer to its point of ultimate disposal.
Another problem commonly associated with the common or conventional collecting assembly is the creation of back pressure in the connected storage or collecting container. The positive flow of fluid created by the positive fluid pressure of the rotating blade in the cutting area causes a volume of air and the debris entrained therein to be forceably directed into the storage container, etc. As readily obvious, this has a tendency to create extreme back pressure within the collecting container itself and somewhat inhibits the actual collection of the debris.
Accordingly, it can be seen that there is a need in the industry for an effective collecting assembly capable of efficiently transferring debris, clippings, etc. from the cutting area of a cutting machine into a storage area. In addition, the efficient removal of the clippings in a compacted state so as to eliminate the problem of debris transfer should be capable of being readily accomplished by a preferred collecting assembly. Further, such a collecting assembly should ideally comprise simple structural design capable of being readily mountable on either a riding type cutting machine or a walk behind or push type cutting machine as is well known and presently commercially available.